Injury-plagued Spies ruled out for six months

PRETORIA (Reuters) - South Africa loose forward Pierre Spies faces another lengthy lay off after suffering a recurrence of the arm injury that sidelined him for six months last year, the Bulls announced on Monday. The Springbok number eight will this week undergo surgery on the bicep injury that he first suffered last June and which kept him out until the start of this year's campaign, a statement said. Spies, 28, hurt it again in a warm-up match earlier this month but played in the Bulls' opening Super Rugby game of the season against the Sharks in Durban on February 15, rupturing the muscle. He will be out for six more months. He is the second international the struggling Bulls have lost to injury in recent weeks, following a knee injury that will keep international flanker Arno Botha out for the rest of the season. The Bulls have lost their opening two matches of the Super Rugby campaign.